Yes, Apple is toughening up the security of iPhones with iOS 12. Yes, the steps Apple is taking will make it harder for law enforcement agencies to thwart iPhone security. But no, that's not the reason Apple is doing it. To understand better, let's take a little history lesson. Back in 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook opposed court requests that his company...

Creating a thorough and effective security program is difficult enough when your data is stored on-premises. But most organizations and agencies straddle hybridized on-prem and cloud environments—or they’re cloud-native entirely. This complicates the role of cybersecurity teams who now need tools that can traverse multiple environments without missing...

Network security is an issue that is increasingly important as businesses and even households shift more workflow processes and key tasks to the network and into the cloud. While some users may find it a challenge to protect even a single digital device, keeping an entire network secure can be a tall order for even the most tech-savvy users. From...

Federal authorities have arrested dozens of alleged fraudsters in an international takedown of Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. According to the Department of Justice, a total of 74 individuals were arrested, including 43 in the US, 29 in Nigeria, and three in Canada, Mauritius and Poland. The operation – dubbed Operation Wire Wire – was...

If you’ve been in information security for a while, you’ve likely had some experience with file integrity monitoring (FIM). It’s a capability with a long history, going back to the original open-source Tripwire tool for monitoring file hashes. And FIM has staying power. It’s still around, and there are still new deployments. There aren’t a lot of...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s June 2018 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-782 on Wednesday, June 13th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2018-8267 This code execution vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer’s scripting engine and relates to the handling of objects...

A French company has incurred a fine of 250,000 euros for a significant data leak that might have exposed customers' sensitive personal information. On 7 June, France's data privacy regulatory body Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) published a statement about a data leak of which it learned in July 2017. An English...

On 11 May 2017, President Trump issued the Executive Order, Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure. This directive, among other things, identified agency heads as those who are ultimately responsible for managing cybersecurity risk within executive departments. In service of that purpose, the White House...

Last time, I got the opportunity to speak with Diana Initiative founder Virginia Robbins, otherwise known as fl3uryz. She deserves all the kudos for her hard work in promoting women in our industry. This time, I had the pleasure of speaking with Avi. They’re not a woman, but they certainly know what it’s like to be a gender minority in tech. Avi has...

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinrail said it's cooperating with law enforcement after suffering a hacking attempt. In a statement posted to its website, Coinrail revealed it was working with police to investigate an incident that might have exposed 30 percent of the total number of coins traded on the exchange. It placed the remaining 70...

For the better part of a decade, I have spent a good amount of time analyzing security and compliance frameworks. There is beauty to be found in every one of them. Some are very high level and leave the organization to interpret how to implement the various controls, such as the CIS Critical Security Controls. Others are incredibly prescriptive and...

Do you see anything suspicious in the message displayed above in this article's featured image? Alton Towers is giving away 5 free tickets to 500 families Many WhatsApp users would probably view it as innocent enough, appearing to offer free tickets to a British theme park. Indeed, some might be so convinced that the message is legitimate that...

A malware attack affected computing devices owned and operated by three state agencies in Rhode Island, confirmed the State's digital security teams. Rhode Island's Department of Children, Youth & Families, one of the departments affected by the malware attack. According to Call 12 for Action, the...

If you've ever attended an infosec or hacker conference, you're sure to have seen the Capture the Flag or CTF. As with anything in this industry, there are ebbs and flows in the debate of the value of the competitions. Some argue that they are unrealistic. Others champion them for the skills required and the creative thinking. Let's be real for a...

A provider of HR software said that a malware infection might have exposed user data including personal and account information. According to a statement posted on its website, PageUp observed unusual activity on its IT infrastructure and subsequently launched an investigation on 23 May. Five days...

With hacking attacks, government surveillance and censorship constantly in the headlines, more and more people are looking for ways to increase their privacy online. One of the simplest and most popular solutions is to use a virtual private network. With a VPN, all your internet traffic is encrypted and tunneled through a third-party server, so it...

A ransomware attack targeting the city of Atlanta wiped out years of dashcam footage generated by the Atlanta Police Department. In an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields revealed that a March ransomware attack against the city cost the Department years of dashcam...

Last time, I had a great chat with Anna Westelius. She has a lot of experience with everything from web security to Linux driver development, and I learned a lot from her. This time, I had the pleasure of talking with Virginia Robbins, otherwise known as fl3uryz. Not only is she an expert in malware detection; she also founded The Diana Initiative,...

I’m pleased to announce that next month, I will be offering the two-day training series A Guided Tour of Embedded Software Hacks at Shakacon X as well as at Black Hat USA in August. As a reminder, I will also be back at SecTor with reloaded material for a one-day Brainwashing Embedded Systems advanced class aimed at students who have already...

UPDATE 05/06/18: Booking.com sent over the following statement in an email: Security and the protection of our partner and customer data is a top priority at Booking.com. Not only do we handle all personal data in line with the highest technical standards, but we are continuously innovating our processes and systems to ensure robust security on our...